NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans City Councilmember-at-large Helena Moreno called for a 'special full City Council meeting on crime,' she said in a social media post.
Moreno said the urgency of crime in New Orleans and a shared concern among all City Council members is why she's calling for the special meeting on crime.
"Yes, I’ve called a special full City Council meeting on crime because of the urgency of this matter and because EVERY city councilmember on this new council is incredibly concerned and working to find solutions to the violence in our city," Moreno said. "Special full council meetings are rare, but certainly necessary in this case. More details will be announced next week."
The social media post included a screenshot of a Friday local news story on the arrest of an 11-year-old among 4 others in a crime involving a stolen car.
The year 2022 is picking up where last year left off when it comes to carjackings in New Orleans.
Since Friday, more than a dozen vehicles have been stolen across the city.
That includes vehicles taken near City Park, the Superdome and the CBD.
Southern University of New Orleans Criminologist Dr. John Penny says the carjackers will likely just abandon the vehicle when it runs out of gas.
“They use it to commit other crimes then dump it after they’re finished doing that they’re doing,” Penny said. “When they don’t have any more use for them, that’s what happens.”
Penny added, the Covid pandemic has been a time of idleness and criminal mischief for far too many young people in the city.
Carjacking increased by more than 20 percent last year and it shows no sign of slowing down.
If you spot it, call New Orleans Police or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.